The Best ES-335 On A Budget? || Epiphone inspired by Gibson ES-335 Review
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- After reviewing the Stanford ES-style guitar I reviewed in last weeks video, I wanted to see of the Epiphone was actually better at less than half the price. And I justed wanted to know if the Epiphone was simply a good guitar on its own merits. So to add another round to the ES-335 on a budget quest I started with last weeks' video, I took the Epiphone inspired by Gibson for a ride, to let you know my thoughts!
The pickup height thing is spot on. I absolutely hated the sound at first. Then I lowered the pickups and it was like "OK there it is" I'm also not a big fan of shiny guitars. I buffed that out and it looks much more worn in and comfortable. Took the gloss off the neck and my luthier even remarked about how good the neck felt and how much he liked the guitar. Those are things I wouldn't do w/ a "real" Gibson obviously that made me like the guitar a lot more.
Since I lowered the neck pickup I even actually really like it too. More different than my Les Pauls than I expected.
That’s exactly where I was. I had this guitar and wasn’t enjoying it for About 12 months. I’d bought a number of other guitars around the same time so I didn’t bother with it. Then I started messaging around with pick up height and found the sweet spot. Now I love it. Brilliant build quality. Looks fantastic (I have the raspberry tea burst figured). Now sounds awesome.
My wife had the 339 for a while and I thought it was a bit too boomy. I actually thought about the figured tea burst for a while, but it became a lot more expensive by the time Inactually went for it. But it's really a great guitar! I've also changed the bridge and tailpiece in the meantime to a Faber that goes straight into the wood, which also was a big upgrade for not a lot of money.
Another practical and straightforward review.
I picked up an Epiphone ES-335 Figured in Raspberry Burst on sale about two months ago and I am still impressed with its build quality and playability. This really is an affordable alternative to the Gibson ES-335, and the Epiphone plays very well and sounds very good.
I had a nice Rickenbacker 360 but it was an unwieldy stage guitar for me (I’m 5’9”) - heavy and long. Sold it to help fund a Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s and have zero regrets.
I did do some fret work myself to lower the fret height on the ES-335, but it really wasn’t necessary. I will try adjusting the pickup heights as suggested in the comments.
Thanks for the no-frills, to-the-point reviews and helpful tips.
Thanks for your comment, it's great to hear that what I'm making is actually useful to some people! These guitars are great for the money. I no longer own mine because eventually I didn't really have a use for it, but if you like this type of guitar you really can't go wrong. Lowering the neck pickup did a lot for me though, it made the guitar way more articulate, so I can recommend that for sure.
Im REALLY enjoying mine...Great Instrument.
Absolutely! The only things that annoys me a bit, is the fact that the binding isn't as visible on the front compared to the original. But that's no reason for me to pay more for a Gibson 😜
Just bought a Cherry one on the used market here in the UK. The neck pickup was ridiculously high and it had absolutely no relief in the neck. After a few very quick adjustments, this guitar really does sing! The previous owner had no idea 😢
I think they all come with the neck pickup way too high. Happy NGD to you! 🙂
Klinkt waanzinnig goed! Epiphone maakt weer fantastische gitaren vandaag de dag.
Absoluut, ik was die middag aangemaal verrast door meerdere Epiphones in de winkel en dit is er eentje waarbij de neiging om te upgraden naar de Gibson-versie vooralsnog weg blijft.
I got one of those used at Guitar Center for $300 five years ago. It’s an awesome one.
That's a great deal!
I have the Epiphone Bonamassa ES-335 and it’s fantastic.
Cool! I haven't tried that one yet. Does the vibrato stay in tune?
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar Surprisingly it does! I still need to be careful with it but for subtle vibrato and warbles it seems to keep tune quite well. The set up was just right out of the box for me but it’s possible the dealer looked it over before selling.
@@rocktorrocks sounds awesome!
Im so glad Epiphone is doing the 335 justice.
Its price point is typically too far out of reach for most, and it causes the 335 to get overlooked as one of the best and most versatile guitars in the market.
Edit: I picked up one of the raspberry burst models and had the neck plek'd. Scored the burst on a huge sale for 399.99 and the plek'd job cost me 300. So for 700 bones i managed to score what is my favorite guitar now. Over a custom PRS and some custom shop fenders. These epis are nice.
It's a great guitar and I'm really happy they make these guitars this well at such a price point. Glad I got it!
@@StevenAnthonyGuitarthey are well done. You're spot on about pickup height. Idk why epiphone does this.
A little time spent adjusting them really brings this thing to life.
Great video!
@@ICantBelieveItsNotJesus thanks! I think Epiphone sets the pickups too high on most of their guitars. Got another very cool Epiphone last week with the same 'issue', but that's a story for a later video 😉
The raspberry burst? That thing looks awesome
I have that guitar and love it. I put flat wounds on mine and buffed the gloss off the neck and replaced the output jack with a more stable one. It's become my number one guitar and I have more expensive guitars. I also have the Casino in worn ebony and love it for an almost acoustic electric.
Epiphone is making really good guitars recently, and with a little TLC they can be(come) great!
It always stands up well when compared with the gibson in most reviews... At which price point would you say it was not a good guitar.. hypothetically?
Well, a good guitar is a good guitar, at any price point. The Gibson version of this one is a whole lot more expensive. It will probably look a bit better, feel a bit better and sound a bit better, but I would only buy the Gibson if I needed it as one of my main gigging and recording guitars. If you're just looking to dip your toe into the water, this one is great.
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar I have used one of these in alot of live performances and rehearsals including recording... It is a great workhorse and I think it punches well above it's price.. If you consider, some of the signature models cost alot more when they have the same pickups and electrics on board.. I guess it comes down to if you prefer to gig with a 4/5k guitar or a £500 one... I really think that the sound results onstage will be almost identical except for the headstock and brand.
@@pauljohnson3686 in my experience, when comparing Epiphone to Gibson, I usually like the feel (neck carve, nitro finish, rosewood neck etc.) a bit better and I think you can get a better bridge, tailpiece and pickups by upgrading then on the Epiphone. The people in the audience might not hear the difference, but if it makes one play better, they would sure notice that. But the Epi is great value for money and you can gig and record with it for sure!
Just got the cheery 335 today. I was hoping I made a good decision. Based on your video looks like I did. Can not afford the Gibson.
I bought this guitar back in March and only changed the bridge for a Faber one. Still very happy with it and I play it everyday. I'm sure the Gibson will be a bit better, but this guitar is very good, not just for the price. Just enjoy it and don't worry about it: you've got yourself a good guitar! 😊
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar I am getting a full set up on it this weekend.
An excellent gig/recording guitar. I love mine! Very professional and It really plays, sounds and looks killer.
Unless someone's career is close to the Eric Clapton's career, there's no point to pay 3, 4x more for a Gibson version anymore. Except if it's a dream guitar...
Thanks for the video!
I no longer own mine, as I prefer Les Pauls and SGs in the end, but these are great value for money. The Gibsons are so much more expensive and I'm sure they're better, but these are already very good.
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar I also have a fantastic my favorite Gib SG supreme 1999 and others. But in case SG everytime I search it's more rare and expensive. So this epi 335 was a nice surprise for me to keep in gigs and recordings. I just replaced the stop bar for an original nickel. It's perfectly adjusted, I'm very happy!
@@mrossineto I also upgraded the bridge and tailpiece for Fabers, which does a lot I think.
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar True. A refret is a good upgrade for this guitar too. But construction, tuners, pickups, all really good for me. The indian laurel fretboard is beautiful.
@@mrossineto I feel like you have to get lucky with the indian laurel fretboards though. Some are too dry and light in my opinion, but sometimes you get a good one.
Great guitar, my personal fav and no.1. I've had the neck pick up magnet reversed for an out of phase option. Which i really dig, nasal as f*@k haha, and works surprisingly well with fuzz! Can't go past an Epi 335 for value :)
Have you played the Sheraton Pro 2? I think it's the best value'd guitar in existence right now. Usually about 50 dollars more used/mint than the 335 but feels so much more substantial for my blood. I did a comp on my channel between it and a real 335 and a ton of people preferred the Sheraton. Anyhow, good vid. Later man.
The Sheraton really does sound good in your comparison man! I thought about an ebony Sheraton, but based on looks and price I didn't even compare, because I liked the ES-335 so much as it was. But nothing wrong at all with those Sheratons either!
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar Yeah for sure. I'm a little biased I think because I got my Sheraton at an absolute steal. I think around 400 mint condition. Ended up selling it for like 600 a few days later I think. If I could just do that 2 thousand more times, I'll be all set.
@@GuitarlordJohnBurton yeah I know that feeling when flipping guitars 😜
Cool! sweet looking guitar. you're right about playing around with things like pickup height (and even the height of individual pole piece screws) can tailor the sound. (its easy to do, and can always be easily changed back). I usually like to have the two pickups in balance as far as output response, and adjusting their height is the easiest way to do it. those big hollow body guitars just get a different sound and have a different vibe and feel than solid bodies, even with the same pickups. For myself, I really like the sound of P90 pickups though, and I'd probably be more interested in a Casino. plus, the Casino has a trapeze tailpiece, which I think looks cool - and its about the same price as the 335. Great videos! (I'm still loving my new Epi LP Special, btw...)
I think Casino's are really cool as well, but those hollow bodies would give me some issues with my big Marshall I'm afraid.
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar just don't stand in front of that big Marshall stack! The guy in Rush used hollow body guitars for a long time, and they played pretty loud back in the old days.
@@anthonypanneton923 I actually think a 335 with P90s would be cool. Recently I passed up on a Gibson with that configuration. As far as I know Casino's have a bit smaller bodies and I'm a very tall guy, so the 335 works better for me that way. But for now I'm very satisfied with this Epiphone. After I shot this video I used it live and in the studio and it's a very useful addition.
@@StevenAnthonyGuitar Interesting - I always thought the Casino and 335 were the same size. The 335 is a BIG guitar. The Gibson version of the Casino was called a ES-330. Back in the '70s I knew a guy who played one of those.
They (Gibson and others) make pickups called P94 which is basically a P90-type single coil pickup in a humbucker sized package. a P94 will mount into the same pickup rings as a standard humbucker.
@@anthonypanneton923 I think I was wrong and they're the same size though. But a sunburst like my Epiphone but with two actual P90s also does look pretty cool. And I do think the size is quite comfortable though, both sitting and standing. But once again, I'm tall, about 6'5".
I love mine !!
They're great!
Epiphone ES 335 ? - The best choice ! - ua-cam.com/video/nEJig3KggcI/v-deo.htmlsi=apnJF5UXtPd8KH4T
Nice video!
I played both the Epiphone and the Gibson 335's side by side and the action on the Gibson was much better than the Epi.
Luckily action and other aspects of the setup can be adjusted.
En serio estás comparando una Epiphone con una Gibson? 🤦
Yeah. . . Because that’s totally not an easy and inexpensive fix. Just pay thousands of more of your money just bc of string action 😂🤦🏽♂️
Set up your self ...
Set up myself what?